Wager Terms

Accountant — Slang for bookmaker/bookie.
​Ace — A trustworthy person.
​AFC — American Football Conference (NFL).
​Action — A valid bet. “No action” = void (e.g., rained-out game). Also the total amount you’ve wagered (ten $20 bets = $200 action).
​Agent — Middleman who places players with a sportsbook for commission.
​Ahead — Currently winning (wins exceed losses).
​Ajax — UK slang for betting tax.
​American Line — Hockey line shown as goals (not moneyline).
​Angle — Questionable tactic to gain an edge without breaking rules.
​Arbitrage — Odds differences that let you bet both sides and lock profit.

Backdoor Cover — Late/“meaningless” points that cover the spread for a likely loser.
​Backer — Person/group bankrolling a player.
​Bad Beat — Painful, unlikely loss (e.g., last-second score flips result).
​Bank — The house or player covering bets; also a bankroll.
​Banker — A “sure thing”; in perms, a selection that must win.
​Bankroll (BR) — Your betting budget.
​Basic Strategy — Long-term optimal play system (e.g., blackjack).
​Beard — Someone who bets for another to hide identity.
​Beef — Dispute between player and book.
​Bet — Money risked on a game/event (cash, chips, vouchers). See: Wager.
​Bettor — Person placing a bet; also “player” (US) or “punter” (UK).
​Bet Spread — Max bet divided by min bet (e.g., $50/$5 = 10:1).
​Betting Limit — Min/max allowed on a single bet.
​Blow Back — Giving back prior profits after a winning run.
​Book — Sportsbook; also its record of action and prices.
​Bookie — Short for bookmaker.
​Bookmaker — Licensed odds-setter taking bets (US: sportsbook).
​Bottle — UK slang for 2/1 odds.
​Break-Even Point — When total wagers ≈ total payoffs.
​Buck — $100 bet.
​Buy — Pay extra vig to move a spread/total by ½-point steps.
​Buy Price — Higher figure quoted by an index/spread book.

Canadian (Super Yankee) — 26 bets from 5 picks: 10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 four-folds, 1 five-fold.
​Canadian Line — Hockey line expressed as a moneyline.
​Carpet — UK slang for 3/1 odds (“tres”, “gimmel”).
​Chalk — The favorite.
​Chalk-Eater / Chalk-Player — Bettor who backs favorites.
​Chartwriter — Records stats/comments on horses/players.
​Circled Game — Book limits action due to uncertainty (injuries, weather).
​Clone Joint — Book that mirrors other books’ lines.
​Cover — Beat the spread by enough points; dog covers by losing small or winning.
​Credit Player — Plays on a set credit limit, often via an agent.

Degenerate — Compulsive gambler (slang).
​Dime — $1,000 wager.
​Dime Line — 10-cent moneyline difference (book’s commission).
​Dollar — $100 wager.
​Double Action — If-bet instruction: win/tie/cancel continues.
​Doubleheader — Two baseball games same day; racing: two cards in one day.
​Due For — Belief a team/player is “overdue” for a result (not predictive).

Earn — Practical hold % (book’s win ÷ total booked).
​East Coast Line — Hockey split-goal line format.
​Edge — Advantage over the line or house.
​Even Money — Pays 1:1 plus stake back.
​Exotic Wager — Anything beyond a straight bet (teasers, futures, RR).
​Expected to Win Rate — Long-run % a player might win/lose.
​Exposure — Amount the player/book stands to lose on an outcome.
​Extension — Theoretical risk the book carries on an event.

Favorite — Side expected to win.
​Fifty Cents — $50 bet.
​Final Four — NCAA men’s basketball semifinals.
​Firing — Betting large sums.
​Fixed — Illegally pre-determined outcome.
​Flat Joint — Dishonest gambling operation.
​Flea — Player who wagers little and expects comps (derogatory).
​Foots — Slang for soccer (“footy”).
​Form — Expected performance based on past results.
​Front Money — Deposit to establish credit with the house.
​Futures — Bets on later outcomes (e.g., Super Bowl winner).

Get Down — Place a bet.
​G-Note — $1,000 bill.
​Going Down — Losing streak.
​Grand — $1,000 (cash/chips/vouchers).
​Grand Salami — Total goals in all NHL games that day.
​Grinder — Small-stakes, steady bettor.
​Gross Win — Winnings before expenses.

Half-Time Bet — Bet on first half or second half only.
​Handicapper — Sets weights (racing) or analyzes sports for picks.
​Handle — Total money wagered.
​Hedge — Bet the other side to reduce risk.
​High Roller — Big bettor.
​Holding Your Own — Breaking even.
​Home Field Advantage — Edge from venue, travel, crowd, familiarity.
​Home Run Hitter — Makes big aggressive plays (high risk/high reward).
​Home Team — Team playing at home (often listed second).
​Hook — The ½ point in spreads (e.g., 3.5).
​Hooked — Lose by exactly the hook (½ point).
​Hoops — Basketball.
​Hot — On a winning streak; or a slot paying out.
​Hot Game — Game attracting heavy action on one side.
​Hot Tip — Info not yet reflected in the line.

IBF — International Boxing Federation.
​Interference — Illegal obstruction (racing/sports).

Juice — Book’s commission (vig). Often −110 on spreads.

Kick It — Raise the bet.

Layoff Wager — Book’s bet with another book to balance risk.
​Lay the Odds — Risk more than you can win (favorites).
​Lay the Points — Bet the favorite against the spread.
​Lay the Price — Bet the favorite on the moneyline.
​Leak — Lose winnings due to poor habits; see Blow Back.
​Limit — Max wager accepted before the line moves; cap per bet.
​Line — Odds, spread, or price for an event.
​Linemaker — Person who sets the opening/updated lines.
​Listed Pitcher (LP) — Expected starting pitchers for MLB.
​Live One — Inexperienced, loose player with money (derogatory).
​Long Odds — Small chance; bigger payout.
​Long Shot — Big underdog.

Make-up Figure — Amount you must deposit after a withdrawal before being bonus-eligible again.
​March Madness — NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
​Middle(s) — Win both sides by grabbing different numbers (fav −2.5, dog +3.5; final margin 3).
​Middler — Bettor who targets middles.
​MLB — Major League Baseball.
​Money Line — Odds in money (−120 / +150); just win the game.

NBA — National Basketball Association.
​NCAA — National Collegiate Athletic Association.
​Neutral Site — No home advantage.
​Newspaper Line — Approximate lines from papers; can be inaccurate.
​NFC — National Football Conference.
​NFL — National Football League.
​NHL — National Hockey League.
​Nickel — $500 wager.
​NIT — National Invitational Tournament (college basketball).
​No Action — No bets accepted (game started), or event postponed/moved = void unless stated.

Oddsmaker — Sets and adjusts betting lines (a.k.a. linesmaker).
​Odds On Favorite — Favorite priced below even money.
​Off the Board — Book not taking action on the game.
​Off Lines — Line that differs from consensus/computer models.
​Official Line — The line a specific book uses for grading.
​Out — Bookie.
​Outlaw Line — Early, unofficial line offered to select bettors to shape the opener.
​Overtime — Extra play after a tie in regulation.
​Over/Under Wager — Bet on total points/goals over or under a number.

Pari-Mutuel Wagering — Pool betting; payouts come from the pool.
​Parlay — Two or more picks in one bet; all must win (pushes/cancels usually reduce legs).
​Past Performance — Historical form/results.
​Penny Line — Moneyline moves in 1-cent increments.
​PGA — Professional Golfers’ Association.
​Pick’em Game — No favorite; spread 0; lay typical vig.
​Point Spread — Predicted margin between teams; balances a matchup.
​Post Up (Player) — Customer who deposits and plays from that balance.
​Press — Bet more than usual.
​Pressing — Let winnings ride with the original bet.
​Price — The spread/odds you’re laying or taking; also poker pot odds.
​Probability — Likelihood an event occurs (0 to 1).
​Proposition Bet — Bet on a specific stat/event.
​Puck Line — Hockey spread with moneyline pricing.
​Puck — Hockey puck; slang for hockey.
​Push — Tie with the line/total; stake returned.

Rain Out — Event canceled due to weather.
​Rollover — Wagering requirement on bonus funds.
​Round Robin — Enter multiple parlays at once from 3–8 selections.
​Rundown — Book reads all current lines to a customer.
​Run Line — Baseball spread (usually ±1.5 runs).
​Running Bad — On a losing streak.
​Running Good — On a winning streak.
​Ryder Cup — Biennial US vs Europe golf event.

Scalper — Bets both sides at different prices to lock profit.
​Score — Win a lot from successful wagers.
​Scout — Researcher who feeds info to handicappers.
​Scratch — Withdraw/cancel a wager or selection.
​Second-Half Bet — Bet only the second half of a game.
​Sharp — Well-informed, skilled bettor.
​Short Odds — Odds on a likely outcome (lower payout).
​Shortstop — Small-stakes bettor.
​Side — Spread bet side (favorite or underdog).
​Sides — The two teams: favorite and underdog.
​Single Action — If-bet that continues on a win only.
​Smart Money — Money from knowledgeable bettors.
​Soft Line — Line out of step with market/true number.
​Splash Around — Play more loosely than you should.
​Sport Player — Bettor who waits for strong opportunities.
​Spread (Lines) — Short for point spread.
​Spread Wager — Bet involving a point spread.
​Spread Limit — Betting structure with a min–max range per round.
​Square — Casual/unsophisticated bettor.
​Stake — Your risk amount.
​Stanley Cup — NHL championship trophy.
​Steam — Fast line move from heavy action.
​Steaming — Playing badly/wildly, often on tilt.
​Straight Bet (Wager) — Single bet on a side at given odds.
​Straight Wager (Bet) — Single spread/total bet that must cover.
​Stuck — Down/behind for the period.
​Sucker — Wealthy but unskilled bettor (derogatory).
​Sucker Bet — Bet that heavily favors the house.
​Sudden Death — First to score wins in OT.
​Super Bowl — NFL championship game.
​System — Math-based method to try to gain an edge.

Take a Price — Bet the underdog on the moneyline.
​Take the Odds — Risk less than you aim to win.
​Take the Points — Bet the underdog against the spread.
​Teaser — Parlay adjusting spreads/totals in your favor; lower payout.
​Ten-Cent Line — 10-cent moneyline difference between favorite and dog.
​Thirty-Cent Line — 30-cent moneyline difference.
​Tie — Game ends level; settlement per market rules.
​Toss Up — Near pick’em.
​Totals — Combined score for Over/Under bets (OT included unless stated).
​Tout — Person selling or giving picks.
​Tout Service — Business that sells picks.
​Triple Sharp — Very skilled, successful bettor.
​Tweener — Book that averages other books’ numbers.
​Twenty Cent Line — 20-cent moneyline difference.

Underdog — Less likely to win.
​Underlay — Odds worse than they should be (bad value).

Value — Odds better than true probability (overlay).
​Variance — How much results swing up and down.
​Vigorish (Vig/Juice) — Book’s commission.
​VIP — High-value bettor receiving premium service.
​Visitor — Away team (often listed first).
​Void — Bet canceled with no result.

Wager — Money risked on an event.
​WBA — World Boxing Association.
​WBC — World Boxing Council.
​Wise Guy — Very knowledgeable handicapper/bettor.
​WNBA — Women’s National Basketball Association.
​World Series — MLB championship series.